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Ecclesiarchy
The Ecclesiarchy (officially the Adeptus Ministorum) is the official state church of the Imperium, and it maintains and spreads the Imperial Creed throughout the Imperium. As the clergy of the highly religious Imperium the Ecclesiarchy is immensely powerful, often considered second only to the Administratum in influence. The Ecclesiarchy is a law unto themselves and have the authority to level the charge of heresy upon any member of the common imperial citizenry, as well as mete out its punishment. The Ecclesiarchy is often at-odds with the Adeptus Mechanicus, as they represent significantly different religious beliefs. Although the interpretation of particular areas of Imperial Cult dogma varies throughout the Imperium any serious deviance from its strictures is considered heresy and dealt with extreme severity. The Ecclesiarchy is based on Terra, its urban palace covering almost all of the southernmost continent, and from here the enormous Terran Synod lays down religious dictats that reach every corner of the Imperium. The head of the Terran Synod is the Ecclesiarch, the spiritual leader of the Imperium, and is also one of the High Lords of Terra. Authority and Powers As stated the Ecclesiarchy is incredibly powerful, holding a monopoly on religious leadership in the fanatical Imperium and thus commanding the loyalty of a massive majority of the population. Perhaps the most telling evidence of the influence is the indescribable wealth of the Ecclesiarchy despite the fact that - unlike many other Adeptus' - they do not rely on enforced tithes, instead accruing vast amounts of currency almost entirely through the donations of the faithful. With this immense wealth the Ecclesiarchy builds grand cathedrals gilded in miles of gold and adamantium, adorns hives with kilometre-high statues of Saints, and funds the most potent non-biologically-augmented military force in the Imperium - the Adepta Sororitas. So powerful is the Ecclesiarchy that the other Adeptus' have legally restricted their powers: The first and most important law upon the Ecclesiarchy is known as the Decree Passive. Enforced following the Age of Apostasy in M36, this edict banned the Ecclesiarchy from controlling "men under arms" and thus disbanded their vast armies - known as the Frateris Templar. However the law's wording allowed them to use the Adepta Sororitas, maintaining security and protection for the Ecclesiarchy. It also does not forbid the Ecclesiarchy from encouraging common Imperial citizens to take up arms and fight in their name, so long as these Frateris Militia are not formal, professional soldiery and are partaking in battle of their own volition. Another tolerated exception to the Decree Passive is the Ecclesiarchy's use of Crusaders, men clad in armour who wield power weapons & large shields and are devoted to the protection of high ranking Priests. These Crusaders are drawn from various Holy Warrior Houses & Orders across the Imperium (many of which can be based on primitive feudal worlds) and once inducted into the Ecclesiarchy these warriors are bestowed with advanced melee equipment. Considered amongst the finest & most dangerous swordsmen there are, the Crusaders are permitted due to their low numbers. The second main law is a limit on the Ecclesiarchy's power to charge, judge, and sentence people for the crime of heresy. While the Ecclesiarchy is free to level spiritual judgement on its own members and common Imperial citizens, including even the Nobility, they do not have the right to judge and sentence members of other Imperial Adeptus' for heresy. While the Ecclesiarchy may accuse members of other Adeptus' of heresy, the judgement and sentence itself must be made by an Adeptus Arbites or Inquisition court. Punishments for religious transgressions can very enormously, ranging from mandated prayers and minor excoriation to extreme self-flagellation for failures of faith and piety. More extreme crimes of heresy are punished far more harshly, with execution or Arco-Flagellation the ultimate fate for most heretics. The most treacherous of heretics, such as those that were a part of an Imperial Adeptus (including the Ecclesiarchy itself), are sentenced to the grotesque Penitent Engines. 'The Ecclesiarchy and the Adeptus Mechanicus' The Ecclesiarchy and the Adeptus Mechanicus are often at odds with each other as factions. While the other Imperial Adeptuses often gladly tolerate the Mechanicus' religious deviations in exchange for their technological prowess, the fundamentalist Ecclesiarchy is far less forgiving and often openly opposes the Adeptus Mechanicus in principle. However this does not change the fact that the Ecclesiarchy relies almost entirely upon the Adeptus Mechanicus for technology. While they can rely on imperial artisans and craftsmen for their cathedrals and religious imagery, the Ecclesiarchy requires knowledge possessed by only the AdMech for many of their favoured weapons including arco-flagellants, penitent engines and the Adepta Sororitas. The Ecclesiarchy secures this technological knowledge from the AdMech through a number of means. The oldest is the Treaty of Mars, signed by the Emperor and first Fabricator General of Mars that bound the AdMech to provide technology to the Imperial for all time. However to fully secure the ever-reluctant assistance of the AdMech the Ecclesiarchy leverages the Martian Priesthood using various STCs that have found their way into Ecclesiarchy possession. As such a vast organisation - often at the forefront of crusades - the Ecclesiarchy often claims a lion's share of reclaimed treasures and loot from recovered worlds. STCs and STC fragments can often be a part of this, and the Ecclesiarchy uses these coveted treasures to leverage the AdMech into providing them the technology they need. Some of these extortionist STCs are banal while others - such as Sororitas Power Armour - are highly sought. Perhaps the most notable of these Ecclesiarchy-held STCs is the Immolator, a Rhino-based armoured vehicle used solely by the Ecclesiarchy. So desired by the AdMech was an STC for a complete vehicle that they agreed to craft them for the Ecclesiarchy - and only the Ecclesiarchy - in exchange for the STC itself. The Ecclesiarchy in in Sector Deus The Ecclesiarchy - while oficially a monolithic and unshakeable organisation - has faced numerous internal disputes and heresies over the centuries. As a rule of thumb the further from Terra a bishop or priest finds himself the more his interpretation of the Imperial Creed will suffer from independent interpretation. Being on the peripheries of the Imperium, Sector Deus is currently faced with a crisis of faith as a few factions struggle for control of Ecclesiastic power in the region. The three most notable factions in Sector Deus are: *'Iron Monks' - A militant faction eager to consolidate as much power into the hands of the Ecclesiarchy as possible, challenging even other Imperial institutions. They have an intense conflict with the Forge World Nestorium, believing them divergent even by AdMech standards and in need of purging. The Iron Monks are currently the dominant faction of the Sector Deus Ecclesiarchy as they have the largest number of Cardinals loyal to their cause, and thus this faction holds the seat of Sector Arch-Cardinal. *'White Preachers' - A faction of healers and scholars who take a more pacifistic view of the Imperial Creed. While they do not have as much genuine power as their rivals the White Preachers are extremely well-funded and are seen in a positive light by most of the Sector, making it awkward to oppose them too overtly. *'Eaglebearers '- The second most powerful faction in the Sector. The Eaglebearers concentrate on spreading the Imperial faith and tolerating alternative beliefs. Their main power comes from more 'liberal' worlds along with isolated colonies & frontier planets, as well as the alliances they hold with other Adeptus'. The inflammatory Iron Monks hold majority power over the Sector Ecclesiarchy, their conflict with Nestorium means the Sector Deus Ecclesiarchy secures the majority of its technological support from the less divergent Forge World of Yixiu. The Ecclesiarchy in Sector Deus is divided into two distinct tiers of authority, the High Synod and the Planetary Synods. 'High Synod of Sector Deus' Based on Tachion Primaris in Saint Evangelion's Cathedral. This is the highest authority of the Ecclesiarchy in Sector Deus, and at its head is the Sector Arch-Cardinal. The High Synod officially consists of all the Cardinals of Sector Deus and therefore meets very rarely, only when extremely important decisions must be made regarding the faith of the entire sector - or when a new Arch-Cardinal must be elected. While all Cardinals are ostensibly of the same rank & authority many are held to higher esteem than others, generally based on the planet they hail from. Shrine World Cardinals are typically the most respected, followed by Fortress and Hive world Cardinals. The Cardinals of particularly small and/or unimportant worlds often take a back-seat in the High Synod, supporting the 'primary' Cardinals rather than leading motions themselves. The distinctly fractured Ecclesiarchy in Sector Deus has caused this Synod to take on highly political subdivisions. Whichever faction holds the loyalty of the largest number of Cardinals can dominate this Synod, and if they control more than half the Cardinals then they are guaranteed to install one of their own to the Arch-Cardinal's throne. 'Planetary Synods' Similar to the High Synod in organisation and duties but on a directly smaller scale. The Planetary Synods are based on their world's primary Cathedral and headed by the system's Cardinal. The world's Bishops and Archbishops sit on the Synod and have the rights to vote on decisions and have their voices heard. Lower ranked priests can observe the council sessions of the Synod but have no intrinsic right to be heard or to vote on decisions (though this may be granted them by the Synod on certain occasions). It is the Planetary Synod which elects the planet's Cardinal and meets to discuss any important religious matters, and Planetary Synods have been known to spend weeks fiercely debating points of contention, especially when factions butt heads. 'Notable Priests in Sector Deus' The High Synod of Sector Deus comprises of almost a hundred Cardinals each of whom can command the spiritual loyalty of hundreds of millions - if not billions. However even amongst these powerful holy men, some are more influential than others. The most powerful few are listed here: *'Arch-Cardinal Astrobelus Kest' - The Arch-Cardinal of Sector Deus and the leader of the Iron Monks. *'Cardinal Irell Xerant' - Cardinal of Adamant Prime and ancient member of the Xerant Dynasty. Cardinal Irell has links with both the Iron Monks and Eaglebearers though avoids overtly supporting any single faction, and holds a large amount of sway over the High Synod of Sector Deus thanks to his near-absolute influence over the spirituality of Subsector Adamantis and his position in the powerful Xerant Dynasty. 'Divergencies in Sector Deus' The vastness of the Imperium results in an enormous amount of cults and sects that deviate from the offical creed of the local Ecclesiarchy, yet not enough to provoke immediate charges of heresy. Sector Deus is no different, and some of the more interesting divergent cults are listed here: 'The Imperuak Cult' Also known as the Cult Of The Near End, the name of the cult originates from the forewarning of the child prophetess Imperuak whose prophecies mention an end-time that is fast approaching which will result in the birth of another, terrible god and greater strife, and with it more perils for mankind than ever before will come. And come soon. Her tales have been written down by her family and were later somehow distributed along the general populace from where they found their way to the trade ships and with them to the sector at large, leaving smallish cults in most larger human settlements that are connected to major trade lines. According to the teachings of the Imperuak cult the child Imperuak was born into a trader family on Erba, and before she could even write she would sometimes sit in trance and mumble about an impending doom. Generally they are rather livid and detailed enough to make them more than the usual forgeries that circumvent within the imperium. The worst parts of her prophecies mention another big uprising of the archenemy, without going into detail. They also mention several xenos known to mankind - prominently the eldar and an ancient enemy of theirs that will resurface. However the tales currently in circulation are rather divergent and it is unclear whether the god of dead means an eldar god or a god fighting against the eldar. Whether this is due to difference in the tales themselves or later alterations is unclear. The preachers of each however form sects and usually try to shout each other down, as they consider their version the one true. No matter the minute facts the ultimate outcome of these tales is always that a warrior in shining silver armor will rise up, rally the shaken armies of the imperium and that the imperium will not only endure but come out of the conflict stronger then before. It is this end that the cult turns towards in their teachings, that inspire the followers and aspirants to seek strife and grow stronger through it. Given the teachings of the cult it is most popular with quarrelsome folk and minor figures of authority like factory overseers, many of them using their positions to convince some more promising of their workers to act as missionaries. Exactly these mechanisms however make the cult rather unpleasant for the general populace, and prevent wider distribution. For the ecclesiarchy it is just another end-time movement and the low-level officials tasked with its examination have filed it accordingly, not finding anything strange about it. Because the cult does not clash with the general teachings and their followers follow the local mass & church collections more dutifully than most, the priests of the ecclesiarchy tend to treat the believers as fervent Imperials. Due to the nature of the prophecies and their relation to various xenos - including knowledge that is considered unknown to both the Imperial populace as well as most of the church - the cult has earned the attention of the inquisiton, who want to get their hands on the child prophetess herself. However given the age and distribution of the cult the child has probably already died of old age. 'The Cult Of Technological Reason' The Cult of Technological Reason has an aversion to all kinds of wireless technology, claiming it to be an evil twin to the robust, useful communication using wires. Since many of their more fanatical members act on this by destroying antennae and various other equipment the cult has been declared heretical by the ecclesiarchy. They are considered a terrorist organisation ever since blowing up a vital communication array on Artorion's Gate in 304.M41, which resulted in the incoming Arvus-class food transporter Freda MXV to crash onto drop site 4 as they had not received the approach warning. The lighter was destroyed and the landing pad was heavily damage, killing twenty-six souls. In the beginning it merely taught that communication via wireless technology is being influenced by devils and altered slightly to bring misfortune to the imperium. Recent decades however have seen their claims growing far bolder going so far to accuse the state of the imperium the result of these misfortunes. Their followers are often lured in with the soft, early version, attributing their bad-luck and hardships as a result of these intentional alterations. Later on the aspiring believers are whipped into a frenzy, where every misfortune, every fault in the imperial history is the result of the use of wireless technology. Then they are shipped to secret training facilities, from where they start their campaigns of terror. It is suspected that several wealthy nobles or merchants secretly belong to cult, funding it in secret. The root of their teachings have been traced back by agents of the ecclesiarchy to the trader ship Ferrum Internogon in 212.M41, where a failure of the ships internal communication system resulted in the suffocation over 10,000 crew-members as an evacuation warning was not relayed. The cult was formed by surviving crew that had their own interpretation of the rather cold and technical attempt at an explanation/apology by the Chief-Enginseer that fateful day. The Conclave of the Sanctified Bureaucracy There are many in the Imperium who wait humbly, and dutifully, to petition for the holy Administratums work and ministrations. For some this period of waiting is seen as a time for reflection on whether the petty concern is worth the attention of the Administratum. Those sacred few tend to see the waiting as a religious service. Because of this, it is of little wonder that throughout the Imperium pious men and women are offering aid during this spiritual gathering. Sometimes this aid can come in refreshments and still meditation, on other times songs of praise are intoned. These intend to both raise the spirits of those in waiting, as well as remind the waiting on their duty to this ritual. This cult has its origins traced back to the 37th Millennium on Grauva III, Segmentum Pacificus where the local preacher Johacus Mahrin started praying humbly while waiting dutifully for the permit of a roadside shrine. The waiting time took about 6.5 terran years because the adept responsible had died which went unnoticed, during which his prayers were joined by many, out of boredom, as the less spiritually inclined continue to taunt to this day. Because many of those that joined the prayers, waited in other queues again they kept up the prayers and the kin that brought them refreshments started handing the goods to others as well, as a gift to those waiting. Slowly but surely it expanded throughout the Imperium calling to all who wait. Of note is that the task of declaring the Conclave Of The Sanctified Bureaucracy as an official cult falls to His Holiness, the Arch-Cardinal Astrobelus Kest of Sector Deus. After a riot broke out during which many of the waiting have beaten a group of the conclave, shouting profanities because they were upset, rather than inspired, by the reminder of the holiness of the waiting itself. Should the Conclave Of The Sanctified Bureaucracy become official, the rioters have committed an act of heresy and will be dealt with, otherwise they would simply join the end of the waiting queue again, giving them an additional 13 months of reflection and inspiration. Personnel Priests can come from practically any Imperial population in the galaxy, and the majority of the Ecclesiarchy's Preachers and Deacons are simply highly spiritual citizens that decided to devote their lives to the clergy and met the Ecclesiarchy's rigorous standards of piety. More distinguished sources of priests are the Schola Progenium and the dynasties of Imperial Nobility, these more exceptional people often destined for higher positions in the Ecclesiarchy. 'Heirarchy' *'Arch-Cardinal' - The overall leader of the Ecclesiarchy in a given sector. An Arch-Cardinal is elected by a Sector's High Synod, and while the Synod can theoretically elect any Imperial citizen as their Arch-Cardinal it is almost always one of their own number (exceptions are typically in the case of exceptional Preachers involved in some seemingly miraculous circumstances and seen as signs from the God-Emperor). An Arch-Cardinal is the figurehead of the Ecclesiarchy in a Sector, and in the highly religious Imperium is often more famous to the common citizenry of the Sector than the Sector Governor themselves. They are not an absolute religious authority, as they require the majority support of the Sector's High Synod on an ongoing basis, but they are still immensely powerful individuals that any faithful Imperial citizen would obey without question. *'Cardinal' - Typically the most senior Ecclesiarchy priest on a single planet (or system in the case of systems with multiple habited planets). A planet's Cardinal is selected by the popular vote of the world's Synod, the conclave of its Bishops and Archbishops. Cardinals are held in exceptionally high esteem and have an enormous influence on the planetary government of their world, and it falls to Cardinals to maintain a constant vigil on the faith of their world. Highly devout and utterly devoted to the Ministorum beyond question, Cardinals must have the will needed to declare their planet's leadership heretical if necessary - despite the fact that this will often result in their death at the hands of said leadership. ' from which a Bishop leads mass.]]' *'Archbishop' - The senior members of a planet's religious Synod, each Archbishop serves as the most senior religious leader across a large region of a planet. Typically each subcontinent or small continent will have an Archbishop who oversees their many cities and parishes. *'Bishop' - A broad rank of priests that oversee city equivilent populations, and the first rank to be allowed a vote in their planet's Synod. Seniority between bishops is usually determined through a mixture of experience and the size of the population they oversee. They also serve as high ranking commanders of Frateri Militia in wars of faith, leading thousands of fanatics in battle (in these cases they have a military rank attached to their title - such as Bishop-Captain or Lieutenant-Bishop - to distinguish a clear chain of command between Bishops of varying seniority). Bishops lead many thousands of worshippers at once in the truly colossal Cathedrals the ecclesiarchy builds on Imperial worlds. *'Confessor' - Senior priests capable of riling up thousands at once with their powerful speeches. Confessors can also hold authority over multiple parishes as resident priests but are more commonly associated with expeditionary religious work, either as Missionaries or accompanying the Imperial military in campaigns. *'Deacon '- More experienced Preachers that show not only zeal but an uncanny ability to inspire will be promoted to Deacon, with authority over multiple parishes. Deacons are also significant as the primary dealers of Ecclesiastic justice, as any minor transgressions of the citizens they oversee will often be brought to them by their Preacher subbordinates for judgement and sentencing (which could range from repentant prayer to public flagellation). *'Preacher' - The lowest rank in the priesthood, Preachers are usually young & enthusiastic speakers of the Imperial Creed that each oversee a single small church/parish. Some priests though may lack the skill, connections or desire to advance in rank (this most often occurs on remote but peaceful worlds) and remain simple preachers their entire lives. 'The Adepta Sororitas' The Adepta Sororitas are the all-female branch of the Ecclesiarchy descended from the Daughters of the Emperor that arose to power during the Age of Apostasy. Consisting of the most faithful female graduates of the Schola Progenium, and selected for further training in the Sororitas' own convents as Sister Novicates before ascending to full Sister. The Adepta Sororitas are a subordinate branch of the Ecclesiarchy and while they can undertake actions of their own volition they must also follow the orders of the Imperial Priesthood. However despite this subservience the Sororitas are fiercely loyal to the Emperor often to a degree exceeding their priesthood leaders. This ensures no member of the priesthood abuses their power to an intolerable degree as the Sororitas under their command will simply turn on them. 'Organisation' The Adepta Sororitas are organised into Orders. Each order has a self-contained hierarchy and chain of command, and they often have distinct areas of operation though some span far and wide. However it is possible for a Sister to transfer from one Order to another, for example if she feels destined for another purpose, or if she is no longer physically able to meet her current Order's demands. There are many different types of Order, but there are four major Order types are numerous lesser ones. 'Orders Militant' Also known as the Sisters of Battle, the Orders Militant are essentially the Ecclesiarchy's private army and consist of the most combat capable Progena. The oldest of the Orders, while they are not the most numerous type of Sororitas they are considered the most senior and the Order that most encompasses the furious faith the Adepta Sororitas is known for. Therefore the other Orders tend to accede authority to Orders Militant when both are present. Highly trained and well-equipped, most of their efforts go towards guarding the many cathedrals, holy relics and other Ecclesiastical holdings across the Imperium. They also serve as elite bodyguards for high ranking members of the Ministorum and - though a rare occurrence - prosecute offensive actions on their command. Finally, Sisters of Battle are favourite units for puritan Inquisitors to requisition for their strong faith and fighting skill. 'Orders Hospitaller' The most numerous of all orders given their highly ubiquitous purpose, the Orders Hospitaller serve as skilled healers and surgeons in hospitals and cathedrals on almost every imperial world and consist of those Progena who show both technical skill and a caring nature. Imperial Guard Medical regiments will frequently have Hospitallers attached to them when on campaign, and Hospitallers can also function as combat medics for the Orders Militant. 'Orders Famulous' The Orders Famulous serve as advisors for families of the Nobility - providing valuable knowledge in subjects like politics, diplomacy and cross-familial intrigue. As such the Famulous are made up of the most independent, cunning and manipulative Progena. Oftentimes Sisters Famulous will be the ones to select a Dynasty member's most suitable marriage candidates, weaving a intricate web of familial bonds to ensure the Nobility - and by extension the Imperium - is kept as strong as possible. The Sisters Famulous also serve to watch the Nobility for signs of heresy on behalf of the Ministorum. 'Orders Dialogous' The Orders Dialogous consists of the most intelligent Progena, devoting their lives to accruing knowledge of almost any language they can to become translators without peer. Their unwavering faith means they can be entrusted with knowledge others cannot such as xenos languages, histories and even daemonic tongue. 'Other Order Types' *'Orders Sabine' - The Sororitas component of the Missionaria Galaxia, Sisters Sabine bring the Imperial faith to new or reclaimed worlds. *'Orders Pronatus' - These Orders are devoted to the recovery and care of holy Imperial relics. 'Heirarchy' 'Orders Militant' *'Canoness Superior' - The leader of an entire order. Equal in authority to an Arch-Cardinal. *'Canoness Preceptor' - Commands a full Preceptory of several thousand Sisters. For orders that operate across multiple sectors the activities of each sector will be commanded by a Canoness Preceptor. Equal in authority to a Cardinal. *'Canoness Commander' - The leader of a Commandery of several hundred Battle Sisters. Equal in authority to an Archbishop. *'Palatine' - A senior battlefield rank. Palatines command mutiple squads of Battle Sisters. Equal in authority to a Bishop *'Sister Superior/Celestian Superior/Seraphim Superior' - Sister Superiors lead a single squad of 9 other Sisters. Celestian/Seraphim Superiors lead Celestian/Seraphim Squads or serve as a Canoness' personal guard. Equal in authority to a Confessor. *'Celestian/Seraphim' - Celestians are Sisters that have shown exceptional faith & zeal (above even the lofty standards of most Sororitas) and are placed into elite Celestian Squads. Seraphim are Sisters that possess exceptional combat prowess and are places into Seraphim Squads that soar above the battlefield on jump packs. Equal in authority to a Deacon. *'Sister' - The lowest rank in the Adepta Sororitas, a single Sister can still command the loyalty and faith of the Imperium's common citizens. Sisters of this rank can be standard Battle Sisters, Retributors or Dominions, depending on specialisation. Equal in authority to a Preacher. 'Orders Hospitaller' *'Canoness Superior Hospitaller '- The leader of an entire Orders Hospitaller Order. This is a largely organisational position as Orders Hospitaller operate in very fractured elements. *'Canoness Hospitaller' - Typically the highest operational rank of the Orders Hospitaller, these healers are not just skilled & experienced in medcine but also organisational skills and leadership. They command major hospitals and will often control entire warzones worth of Sisters Hospitaller. *'Sister Almoness' - The most skilled field healers of the Orders Hospitaller, Sister Almonesses will serve as the most senior surgeons in hospitals or will accompany the highest ranking Militant Sisters in combat. *'Sister Curia' - Sisters of the Orders Hospitaller that have proven their ability to practice medicine to a high standard under adverse conditions. The Orders Militant typically use Sister Curias as their combat medics, as less proven sisters may falter in battlefield conditions. *'Sister Hospitaller' - The basic rank granted to a Sister Hospitaller upon completion of her extensive spiritual and medical education. They are the medical equals of the most highly trained civilian surgeons and their fierce determination in healing is second to none. Their almost angelic appearence to wounded men is also thought to help keep them alive. 'Orders Famulous' *'Canoness Superior Famulous '- The leader of an entire Orders Famulous Order. As with Hospitallers this is a largely organisational position as Orders Famulous operate very independently, the chain of command generally only used for requesting advice or distributing assignments. *'Canoness Famulous '- The main supervisory rank of the Orders Famulous, highly experienced Sisters Famulous may eventually be promoted to this position. At this rank they stop personally attending to the genealogy of a single Noble family and instead take on a managerial role over her fellow Sisters. The labyrinthine genetics and marriage arrangements of Imperial Nobility necessitate extensive dialogues between Sisters Famulous and often raise many queries. It is the local Canoness Famulous' duty to handle these things, as well as assign Sisters Famulous to Noble Dynasties. Typically only major worlds and Hive Cities are vast enough to require the oversight of a Canoness Famulous. They may instead be assigned to oversee all the Sisters Famulous of a single major dynasty, if it is large enough. *'Sister Famulous Superior' - Experienced Sisters Famulous who are assigned to more important families or families large enough to need multiple Sisters Famulous. *'Sister Famulous' - The basic rank of the Orders Famulous. Each Sister Famulous is assigned to a family to oversee their genetic health and marriage suitability, while several may be assigned to larger families. Most Sisters Famulous spend the vast majority of their career at this rank, spending many decades learning all their is to know about the web-like Imperial Nobility before they qualify for promotion. 'Sisters Dialogous' *'Canoness Superior Dialogous' - The head of an entire Order Dialogous. While this is again mostly an organisational and honourary positon, Canoness Superior Dialogouses do have an enviable reputation a polyglots without peer. A Canoness Superior Dialogous is almost guaranteed to know hundreds of Gothic variants as well as dozens of Xenos tongues and will have proven herself utterly incorruptible by Daemonic texts time and again. Because of this reputation they are sometimes approached for the most critical language tasks that arise. For example when the dreaded bloodthirster Nu'ruchka descended on Sector Lirgos it was a Canoness Superior Dialogous that quickly gleaned the daemon's true name from a heretical text, allowing him to be banished. *'Canoness Dialogous' - Similar to Canoness Superiors on a smaller scale. Each Canoness Dialogous tends to command a single Dialogous Convent, filled with Sisters Dialogous who work translating texts and messages that funnel in on a constant basis. *'Sister Dialogous Superior' - These are Sisters Dialogous that have shown even more exceptional skills with linguistics and have proven their abilities to accurarately translate all kinds of texts & messages. Sisters Dialogous Superior will be assigned to critical positions such as Imperial Guard high command bases. *'Sister Dialogous' - The basic Sister Famulous, after their years of schooling these Sisters are already skilled linguists who can translate all kinds of Gothic as well as the more major xenos tongues. 'Other Orders' *'Canoness Superior Type' - The figurehead of a single Order. Many orders are highly fractured making this mostly a ceremonial position. However some operate in a more centralised manner in which case the Canoness Superior will hold overally and direct command. *'Canoness Type' - Typically the Orders' local commanders who oversee larger operations and major enclaves. *'Sister Type Superior' - A broad rank which encompasses the Orders' experienced Sisters who can be relied upon to lead anywhere from a handful of her Sisters to a few dozen. In the more fractured orders, Sister Superiors will be the most common field commanders. *'Sister Type' - The standard inducted Sisters. While the lowest rank this can still include very experienced Sororitas. 'The Adepta Sororitas in Sector Deus' The Order of Bloody Tears - an Orders Militant - is is the primary Sororitas presence in Sector Deus. An entire Preceptory of the Order of Bloody Tears is stationed in the Sector, and they are augmented by elements of various non-Militant Orders. While hailing from different Orders these support elements are of low seniority and are voluntarily subordinate to the Order of Bloody Tears. Some of the Orders operating in Sector Deus are: 'Orders Hospitaller' *'Order of the Guarded Soul' - Most planetary Hospitallers in Sector Deus hail from this Order. *'Order of Fiery Devotion' - An Order known for its fearless Hospitallers, often assigned to combat medic duties. *'Order of the Steadfast Knife' - A small Order with only a token presence in Deus, they have a dark reputation for interrogation skills 'Orders Famulous' *'Order of Our Eternal Rites' - This massive Order dominates the Demi-Segmentum's Sisters Famulous. 'Orders Dialogous' *'Order of the Diligent Tongue' - An Order with a large presence in Deus, their lauded linguistic skills are invaluable to a frontier sector. *'Order of Silent Truth' - An Order known for their skills with handling Daemonic texts. Favoured by the Inquisition and commonly seen on Nobis. Subservient to the Priesthood factions, the Order of Bloody Tears is therefore completely controlled by the dominant Iron Monks. However this does not mean Bishops and Cardinals of the lesser factions cannot command them, just that conflicting orders from Iron Monks would be given priority. Faith & Astartes In the entirety of the Imperium the least religious institution is the Adeptus Astartes. Indeed they are the only ones who (privately) deny the divinity of the Emperor, maintaining that he is just a man. Albeit the greatest man in history. While by ancient decree Chapters are required to keep Chaplains or their equivalent to act as spiritual guides for their brothers, in practice Chapter Cults are highly varied and rarely have anything to do with the traditional faith preached by the Ecclesiarchy. Cults of the Ghosts of Retribution: *Chapter Cult *Deathwishers *Soulkillers *Ice Wraiths *Imperial Creed Category:Ecclesiarchy